Teacher in-charge of Delhi school suspended for segregating Hindu, Muslim students in different sections

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government took cognisance of the report and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights sent a notice to the Director of education in North Delhi Municipal Corporation and head of the school.

The teacher-in-charge of a primary school in Wazirabad was suspended on Wednesday after an Indian Express report flagged how Hindu and Muslim students were segregated into different sections. CB Singh Sehrawat, the teacher who was made in charge of North MCD Boys’ School on July 2 after the principal was transferred, was found guilty following preliminary investigations and penalty proceedings have been initiated against him.

Earlier in the day, the Delhi government took cognisance of the Indian Express report and the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights sent a notice to the Director of education in North Delhi Municipal Corporation and head of the school. Seeking immediate dissolution of such grouping, saying it was against constitutional values, the commission sought an explanation from the director within two days.

In its notice, the commission instructed the director to constitute a committee to investigate the matter and furnish the details and sequence of events that took place leading to the situation. “Also mention the steps taken and plan of action to prevent such untoward incidents in the future,” the notice said.

While Sehrawat denied deliberately segregating the students on the basis of religion, a source in the school said the reshuffling of sections began only in July this year after Sehrawat took over. “The principal was transferred on July 2, after which a teacher was put in charge until a new principal is posted. He initiated these changes and teachers were not consulted in the matter. When some teachers tried to bring it up with him, he responded with aggression and told them that it was none of their concern and that they should do their assigned jobs,” the source said.

Some teachers from the school even went to the MCD zonal office in Civil Lines around 20 days ago to complain about the segregation, but the authorities did not put their grievances in writing for fear of being targeted.